No. 8, High StreetRupert Austin

The early fabric contained within the property was first discovered
by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust in 1978 during repair works to
the shop front. The oak joists and timbers revealed behind the plain
nineteenth-century facade and low pitched slate roof of this building
clearly belonged to a medieval building. Unfortunately, most of the
historic material remained hidden, and it was only possible to record
small elements of what was originally a very substantial structure. The
opportunity for further recording work regrettably came only as the
result of a disastrous fire in the summer of 1992. Much of the building
was seriously damaged, though nearly all the surviving timber frame was
uncovered as a result of the fire and subsequent repair work. Not
surprisingly a considerable amount of this material was severely burnt
and damaged, making its analysis extremely difficult.

In its original form the building comprised a large double-jettied
two storey structure set `end-on' to the street. The second floor was
divided into five bays and was almost certainly covered by a crown-post
roof. Large sections of the building had already been lost prior to its
recent disaster. Many of the buildings on this side of the High Street
were destroyed by a great fire on August 18th, 1865. Fortunately this
property escaped the worst of the damage, though its roof, which was
badly burned, had to be replaced. Considerable alterations were
undertaken in the eighteenth century resulting in the loss of the
original facade and much of the internal framing, nineteenth-century
brickwork now replaces virtually all the framing along the south-east
elevation.

One of the most unusual features of this building is the use of
double tie-beams at eaves level. The upper cambered tie-beam is framed
into the roof structure in the usual manner. Rather surprisingly a
second uncambered tie-beam is located immediately below. This
additional beam supported a contemporary attic floor, of which only the
joists in the rear bay now survive.

This building was clearly built at a transitional time in the
development of vernacular timber-framed houses. The crown-post roof is
clearly a late example of its type, constructed when side-purlin
structures were first being introduced. Despite the continuation of an
established roof style. it seems that garret accommodation, a more
progressive idea, was included in the original design. In this respect
the building is ahead of many of its contemporaries. These two features,
which are not wholly compatible and rarely seen together, require the
rather unusual double tie-beam assembly, just discussed, to support the
floor frame.

It seems likely that the roof originally terminated in a jettied
gable over both front and rear elevations. No framing survives along the
street frontage, however the arrangement probably matched that of the
rear elevation where some evidence still exists. Here it is suggested
that the attic joists oversailed the rear eaves plates, in a similar
fashion to the jettied floors below, to support a gable end. The
relative level of the lower tie-beam and the eaves would facilitate this
arrangement.

The north-west elevation, which is the most complete, contains
several interesting features. Of these the use of brick infill is the
most surprising. In most cases each panel, the space between the
principal posts, is divided by three studs and crossed by a substantial
tension brace. Small buff bricks, which can only be contemporary with
the framing, infill the areas between the timber. The wide spacing
between the studs is certainly not designed to support lathes and daub.
Additional mortices for further lightweight studs, necessary for lathes,
are not present. An offset to the recessed sides of the northernmost
post provides for the thickness of the brickwork. These details confirm
that the framing was constructed to support a brick infill. This
brickwork represents some of the earliest discovered in vernacular use
in Canterbury.

Although brickwork occupies practically all the panels, several areas
are infilled with the more traditional lathe and daub. This is applied
to large, closely spaced studs in the usual manner. There is no obvious
explanation for this inconsistency, and it was not clear whether this
replaced areas of failed brickwork.

Only the central bay of this elevation incorporated fenestration. A
shutter groove, observed above windows elsewhere in the building, is not
present here. Small square holes, probably left by forged metal gudgeon
pins, suggest that internal hinged shutters were used to secure these
windows.

Several scarfs, of the splayed and tabled variety with under-squinted
butts, were observed in the building. These suggest an earlier date for
the building than is perhaps indicated by some of the other features.

A rough stone dwarf wall, comprising a mixture of chalk, Caen and
flint, still survives beneath this elevation. Several areas have been
repaired in later red brick, presumably of nineteenth-century date. An
early cellar, of possible thirteenth-century date, still survives
beneath the later building, now forming part of a larger basement. The
best area of facing, which comprises a mixture of chalk, Caen and flint,
survives along the north-west elevation. A small niche, with Caen jambs
and small pointed arch, together with sizeable areas of ashlar are also
visible along this wall. Clearly an earlier building occupied this site
before the construction of what survives today.

Despite severe fire damage and previous losses enough of the rear
elevation survives to reconstruct its original form on paper. The
arrangement of centrally located fenestration, subsequently enlarged to
take inserted eighteenth-century sash windows, can be observed at first
floor level. Rebates on the jambs and centre post indicate that
window-heads, presumably decorated arches, once embellished the
openings. The squinted housings for the sills, which were face pegged
rather than tenoned to the uprights, are visible on the sides of these
posts. A groove to take horizontally sliding shutters is still visible
above the openings. Two very low curving braces, similar to those on
several other buildings in Canterbury, survive below this fenestration,
and arch-braces cross the outer panels from above.

Unfortunately only the lower plate and a fragment of eaves plate
survives at second floor level. The details observed on these two
timbers are consistent with those recorded below. It seems reasonable to
assume that the arrangement was similar.

Only the jetty plate and corner posts survive at ground floor level,
where the former jetty has been underbuilt in modern fabric. Access to
the rear of the property was provided by a doorway located in this
elevation. A wide rebate, which runs up the easternmost corner post and
across the soffit of the jetty plate (which must have continued down the
missing door post), once housed a large carved wooden door-head
positioned above this entrance. Two more door-frames were uncovered on
this side of the building, incorporated into the ground floor partitions
at each bay division. These openings were framed with small arch-braces
(similar to jetty brackets), providing an opening similar in shape to
that of the rear door. It is clear from the positions of these
door-frames that a side passage ran from the street frontage through to
the rear of the building.

In general the construction of this building, which has obviously
been thrown together in a quick and functional manner, without recourse
to unnecessary decoration or detail, is solid and substantial. In
several respects however the structure, which incorporates some re-used
timber, is a little haphazard and inconsistent, for example the
arrangement of principal posts and tie-beams (which don't always
coincide as they should) or the use of brick or daub infill. For this
reason, together with a considerable quantity of missing or damaged
timber, interpretation has proved difficult if not impossible in some
areas.

The size and weight of the framing, in particular the substantial
floor joists, together with the crown-post roof and splayed scarfing all
suggest an early to mid fifteenth-century date, but the low tension
bracing and particularly the brick infill suggest a sixteenth-century
date. Considering these points, a construction date in the last quarter
of the fifteenth century seems reasonable, with the brickwork
representing some of the earliest found in Canterbury.

It will come as no surprise to learn that since its conception the
primary structure has undergone many phases of alteration and addition.
These periods of refurbishment have introduced numerous fixtures and
fittings to the interior of the property. The first major upgrading of
the property appears to have occurred in the seventeenth century.

A fine Jacobean fireplace, probably of mid seventeenth-century date,
originally occupied the rear room at first floor level. Unfortunately
very little of this survives. The overmantel and much of the lower
surround was unfortunately destroyed by the recent fire. Its lavishly
decorated pilasters, capped by classical capitals and decorated frieze
were typical of the period. A Victorian cast iron grate has been
inserted into the former hearth.

Another interesting feature is the early balustrade detail around the
staircase at first floor level. The turned balusters, which are short
and stout, possibly date from the mid seventeenth century though these
could be later. Numerous sections of plain seventeenth-century panelling
survive throughout the building, in particular around the landing walls
up to dado height. This type of panelling is very common, and has been
observed in numerous properties throughout the locality. The vertical
stiles and muntin pieces are typically scratch moulded whilst the
horizontal rails are simply chamfered along their upper arris. Another
large area survives in the central room at first floor level with a few
smaller fragments surviving on the ground and second floors. It is
always difficult to ascertain whether panelling of this type survives in
situ or whether it has been re-used from another room or perhaps another
building. There is a tendency for it to looked patched together and cut
to fit, even when it is clearly an original feature. This is perhaps
because it was fabricated in bulk by an outside supplier to a standard
size. Once purchased it would be trimmed and modified to fit the room
being refurbished.

A small cupboard door, similar in pattern to the panelling just
discussed, is located over the stairwell at second floor level. It is
secured by `H'-type hinges with shaped ends, some of the most common
internal door hinges used throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. The door has obviously been cut down and reused.

The next major period of refurbishment seems to have occurred in the
late Georgian period. Virtually all the features in the front room at
second floor level appear to date from the third quarter of the
eighteenth century. A large fireplace, with panelled pilasters and
frieze, forms the centre piece along the south-east wall. The panelled
overmantel still survives above the heavily moulded mantel shelf. A
grate of mid to late nineteenth century now occupies the former hearth.
A shelved niche with smi-circular opening and dropped keystone is
located adjacent to the fireplace. Its pillars, decorated with imitation
block-work, rise from an integral cupboard below. A heavily moulded
cornice with applied dentilations, surprisingly made from a sequence of
smaller wooden elements rather than plaster, runs contiguously around
the room Below this was a picture-rail, chair-rail and finally a deeply
moulded skirting.

It seems that the rear room at first floor level was also refurbished
at around this time. Only the skirting, chair-rail and fragments of
picture-rail have survived the fire. These mouldings, which are
shallower and less complex than those in the front room, could suggest a
slightly later date for this room. The earlier medieval fenestration was
replaced at this time with larger sash windows which have unfortunately
been destroyed.

Several more features can be attributed to this period. In
particular, the hall archway at second floor level. This semicircular
arch with plain soffit and dropped key-block springs from a moulded
architrave. The glazed doors, hung to the rear face of the arch, appear
to be contemporary. A lightwell, also located in the second floor hall,
is enclosed by turned balusters and a heavy moulded handrail.

A final phase of Georgian refurbishment occurs at the very end of the
eighteenth if not the early nineteenth century. This can be seen in the
front room at second floor level which, although split in two by a later
Victorian partition, retains most of its fittings. The most interesting
feature is undoubtedly the fireplace. The cast-iron grate incorporates
engaged columns complete with locking bands and corner roundels of
floral design. The architectural elements can certainly be attributed to
the Gothic revival of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.
This is consistent with an early photograph of the facade which shows
fenestration of Gothic influence. Door architrave, chair-rail and
skirting mouldings (no cornice), considerably less elaborate than those
previously discussed, survive intact. A wooden fire surround, with
fluted corner blocks, has a similar but reversed moulding to the
chair-rail, suggesting a contemporary date.

The alterations and additions undertaken by the Victorians have
fortunately been limited to a few sash windows, door frames and
cupboards. These are of little interest. We are fortunate that the
effects of this century have been limited to the ground floor, until
recently Dewhurst the Butchers.

No. 8 High Street, which survives as an interesting and sizeable
example of a late medieval building, has revealed several important and
unusual features. In particular, the early brick infill and double
tie-beam roof. The opportunity to survey this structure has provided a
valuable addition to our growing knowledge of Canterbury's vernacular
architecture. Evidence of an earlier preceding stone structure, not
affected by the recent repair works , suggests an area for future
investigation. This property, in common with most of Canterbury's
historic buildings, has undergone many alterations and additions
throughout the centuries. Numerous seventeenth-century fittings together
with three well-preserved Georgian rooms add considerably to the
interest and historical value of the building.